Friction-clutch mechanism.



,NO. 729,478. 'PATENTED MAY- 2a, 1903. G. P. 'WISSMAN.

FRICTION CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL. v 2 sHnETswsHpsT 1.

WITNESSES: f ,4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

No. 729,478- PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

, G. F. WISSMAN.

FRICTION CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION TILED EAR. 24, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR',

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES Patented May 26, 1905s.

GEORGE F. WISSMAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FRICTION-CLUTCH MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,478, dated May 26,1903. Application filed March 24, 1902. Serial No. 99,674. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. WIssMAN, of Indianapolis, county ofMarion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and usefulFriction-Clutch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a friction-clutch mechanismon a line-shaft so arranged that the belt transmitting power from theline-shaft to the machine to be driven will not run when such machine isnot being operated. Therefore an idle pulley on the machine to be drivenis with my invention unnecessary. To do this, I provide a pulleysurrounding the line-shaft and mounted independently of it and withcontrollable connection between said pulley and the clutchwheel fixed onthe line-shaft. Furthermore, the pulley being mounted independently ofthe clutch-wheel on the line-shaft, there is no friction between it andthe clutch-wheel and line-shaft when the pulleyis not in motion.

The exact-nature of this invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings,

showing one Way of carrying out my invention, and the followingdescription and claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectionthrough the line-shaft near the pulley mechanism, showing the latter inside elevation with the pulley disengaged from the clutchwheel, some ofthe spokes of the clutch-wheel being broken away. Fig. 2 is the samewith the parts modified, so as to show the pulley connected with theclutch wheel, whereby they are both rotated together. Fig. 3 is acentral longitudinal section through a portion of the line-shaft andsaid pulley mechanism and hanger, the latter being partly broken awayand showing the parts in position while the pulley is not in use. Fig. 4is the same with the hanger omitted and the parts in position to causethe pulley to rotate with the clutch-Wheel. Fig. 5 is a detail of theend of the friction-strap that transmits power from the clutch-wheeltothe pulley and means for adjustably mounting the same. Fig. 6 is asection on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In detail the device herein shown to illustrate the general nature of myinvention con- .laterally from said lever, as shown in Fig. 5

sists of a line-shaft 10, the mountings of which are not shown. Aclutch-Wheel 11 is rigidly mounted on said line-shaft.

The pulley 12 is more than two times as wide as. the clutch-wheelll andis of greater diameter, so that one-half of it will surround and embracethe clutch-wheel. Said pulley has a hollow spindle 13, extending in onlyone direction from the web and centerof the pulley, and is mounted inthe bearing 14., carried M Theconstruction of the The internal diam-.

eter of the hollow spindle 13 is considerably I greater than theline-shaft.

The means for connecting the pulley and clutch-wheel, so as to transmitpower from one to the other, is as follows: A double-ended lever 17 ispivoted to the web of the pulley by the pivot-pin lS to one side of thecenter of said pulley. Said lever 17 extends almost from one side totheother of the pulley and beyond theperiphery of the clutch-wheel and iscentrally curved around theline-shaft, As

shown in Figs. 1 and3, the lever 17 is mounted between the pulleyandclutch-wheel, and

at the end of said lever that is farthest from thepivotal point 18 Isecure one end of the friction-strap 19 to'the arm.20, that extends andover the peripheryof the clutch-wheel. The length of the arm 20 issubstantially the same as the width of the clutch-wheel. The

friction-strap is adjustably clamped to said arm 20 by the clampingplate21 and the screws 22, extending through the slots 23 in said strap,,asshown in Fig. The strap 19 extends almost around the clutch-wheel and atits other end is secured to the internal periphery 0f the pulley at'24,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The length of the strap 19 is such that whenthe end of the lever 17 is thrown down from the position shown in Fig. lto the position shown in Fig. 2 it will draw said strap tightly aboutthe clutch-wheel 11, and since said clutch-wheel is being vdriven by thelineshaft it will through said strap 19 transmit shown in Fig. 2 to theposition shown in Fig.

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1 and relaxes said strap 19, the clutch-wheel will fail to transmit itsrotary movement to the pulley.

A pair of plates 25 are secured by bolts 26 to the spokes of the pulleyon one side of the center and somewhat separated or spaced from thepulley to furnish a guide for the oscillation of the lever 17. To holdthe strap 19 out of contact with the clutch-wheel while it is notdesired to actuate the pulley, I connect a supporting-strap 27 to thestrap 19 below the lever 17 and fasten the supporting-strap to the endof the lever 17 nearest the pivotal point 18. This means for holding thestrap 19 out of contact with the pulley 11 does not interfere with thetightening of the strap 19 about said pulley 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

To actuate the lever 17 for connecting or disconnecting the two pulleys,I use a sliding bushing 28, surrounding the line-shaft and operatingbetween it and the hollow spindle 13 of the pulley 12. The innerend'ofsaid bushing is tapering, so that when the bnshing is pushed infrom the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 it gradually forces the extremeend of the lever 17 downward until the parts assume the position shownin Figs. 2 and 4. This tightens the strap 19 and locks the pulley andclutch-wheel together. When it is desired to unlock the pulley andclutch-wheel and not actuate the pulley 12, the bushingis moved backwardfrom the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3, so that itdisengages the lever 17, and the lever is thrown back into the positionshown in Fig. 1 by the spring 29. This is a spiral spring, connected atone end to the lever 17 and at the other end to the driven pulley 12.

While the extreme inner end of the bushing 28 tapers, as explained, theentire body of the bushing also tapers in the same direction as the end,but with a considerably less inclination, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, sothat as it is moved inward it will bind with the hollow spindle 13 ofthe pulley tight enough to prevent the return or escape of the bushingfrom the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3. To assist inthis purpose, the bore of the hollow spindle 13 tapers reversely of thetaper of the bushing, so that they fit together comparatively tight, yetwhen the bushing is moved into the position shown in Fig. .3 there isample clearance between the bushing and the spindle of the driven wheel.To prevent the lever 17 by reason of the upward pull of the spring 29from forcing the bushing 28 from the looking to the unlocking position,the bushing and the bore of the spindle 13 are of such dimensions thatwhen the bushing is pushed inward the lever 17 will rest upon the mainbody thereof, which is very slightly tapered, instead of upon theextreme tapered portion. It said bushing did not enter so far and thelever 17 rested upon the extreme tapering portion, there would be atendency upon the part of the lever to force the bushing back. Hence thelength of the bushing is such as to cause it to enter so far as to keepthe lever 17 off its extreme tapered end while the pulleys are lockedtogether. The bushing is loosely mounted on the line-shaft 10 and hasagroove 30 in it to receive some means, such as a lever, for actuatingthe bushing.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to actuatethe pulley 12, the bushing 28 is thrown inward, as shown in Fig. 4., andwhen it is desired to stop the actuation of the pulley 12 the bushing isreturned to the position shown in Fig. 3. Then the pulley 12 and alsothe belt connecting it with the machine to be driven are stationary andremain so until the pulley and clutch-wheel are again locked together.The return movement of the lever 17 is stopped or limited by theline-shaft.

\Vhat is claimed to be the invention, and desired to be secured byLetters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a clutch-wheel, a pulley surrounding the same, astrap secured to the pulley and surrounding the clutch-wheel, a leverpivoted to the pulley and extending beside and beyond the clutch-wheel,an arm extending laterally from the end of the lever over the rim of theclutch-wheel, and clamping-bolts extending through said arm for securingsaid strap thereto, said strap having longitudinal slots through it foradjusting the same.

2. The combination of a cluteh-wheel,a pulley surrounding the same, astrap secured to the pulley and surrounding the clutch-wheel, a leverpivoted to the pulley and extending beyond the rim of the clutch-wheelon both sides thereof and at one end secured to the end of said strap, aconnection between the other end of said lever and said strap, and meansfor actuating said lever.

3. The combination of aclutch-wheel,apulley surrounding the same with acentral opening through the pulley, a strap secured to the pulley andsurrounding the clutch-wheel, a lever pivoted to the pulley with one endsecured to said strap and the other end extending across the openingthrough the pulley to one side of the center thereof, and means movablethrough said opening in the pulley for actuating said lever.

4. The combination ofaline-shaft,a clutchwheel secured thereon, a pulleysurrounding the same with a central opening through the pulley, a strapsecured to the pulley and surrounding the clutch-wheel, a lever pivotedto the pulley with one end secured to said strap and the other endextending across the opening through the pulley to one side of thecenter thereof, and a bushing loosely surrounding the line-shaft that islaterally movable through the opening in the pulley and having a conicalend for engaging and actuating said lever.

5. The combination of a line-shaft,a clutchwheel secured thereon, apulley surrounding the same with a central opening through the a bushingloosely surrounding the line-shaft pulley of greaterdiameter than theline-shaft, that is laterally movable through the opena strap secured tothe pulley and surrounding in the pulley and has a conical end for [5ing the clutch-wheel, a lever pivoted to the engaging and actuating saidlever.

5 pulley to one side of its center and extending In Witness whereof Ihave hereunto affixed in opposite directions beyond the clutchmysignature in the presence of the witnesses wheel,and at thepointfarthest from the pivot herein named. secured to said strap, saidlever being centrally curved about the line-shaft so that the GEORGEWISSMAN' IO line-shaft will not interfere with the action Witnesses:

of the lever, a connection between the end of V. H. LOOKWOOD, the levernearest the pivot and said strap, and FLORENCE E. BRYANT.

